THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT but we are happy to announce that it will be livestreamed. GO HERE TO VIEW.

Is There Buddhism Without Rebirth?

In classrooms and dharma centers alike, westerners encountering Buddhism for the first time must come to terms with the widespread Buddhist belief in rebirth. For many, death represents the ultimate unknown, the ultimate lesson in impermanence. Why then, they ask themselves, should they believe Buddhism’s answer to this perplexing question, any more than the answers of other religions that teach eternal salvation in heaven or damnation in hell? Does rebirth fall into the category of “cultural trappings,” such as sexist views of women, certain ritual forms, and belief in traditional Indian cosmology—cultural accretions that can be dismissed as extraneous to the “core teachings” of Buddhism?

Many westerners view belief in reincarnation as simply irrelevant to their engagement in Buddhism. Yet for centuries, Buddhist texts have been filled with warnings about heretics who deny the existence of rebirth and the ethical ramifications of such views. How are we to understand such warnings? And if we discard all such “cultural trappings” as irrelevant to what is essential about Buddhism, what is left of a religion that teaches the lack of any independent essence?

Parking in Berkeley can be difficult. A list of parking lots close to Wheeler Auditorium is found at this link: Parking section Or take BART, http://www.bart.gov/, to the Berkeley station and stroll 0.6 miles accross the campus to Wheeler Auditorium.